Though cultivators possessed immense strength, they were expected to never stir unnecessary discord or violence against one another. Straying from this path was not only frowned upon but could have severe consequences, both in reputation and karma.

  This unspoken agreement kept the balance of the immortal realm intact, ensuring that even in competition or conflict, outright murder was rarely an option.

  The only exception to this rule was when it was decided that the best punishment for a sinner was death. Such a decision was not made lightly; it required a formal gathering known as the Immortal Convention, where the severity of the offender's actions would be debated and weighed.

  It was a stern reminder that even the most powerful cultivators were not above the laws of their realm.

  That except Feng Zhihao. As much as she was a heroine, she was also a murderer. She was smart enough to cover her tracks and escape accusations by either using her enemies or using the facade of a good-natured doctor.

  Of course, all her victims weren't randoms but persons she had a personal feud with, like what happened at the Mount Shun staircase to the immortal realm. So, in a way, her murder was excused as a "good thing," abiding by the realm rules. She punished evildoers.

  This small story arc marked how Feng Zhihao started being on the other side, the one who investigated murder cases with the help of her medical knowledge. Doing autopsies and helping the high judges in the Immortal Convention find the criminal, she was able to make herself shine easily.

  This particular case wasn't that complicated. After Feng Zhihao left the Grey Skies forest, she reached Twelve Roads City, where she encountered a mess since a cultivator died for unknown reasons. No blood, wounds, or signs of poisons were seen, and this made everybody, even the highest local cultivators, decide the cultivator's death was because of natural causes since he was also quite ill before.

  However, it just happened that before arriving in the city, Feng Zhihao had met this man in the forest, along with some other cultivators who were his companions. Of course, being the main character, she was accused of murder, since in the forest, Feng Zhihao helped them kill a monster by using poisonous needles.

  And that very accusatory was no one else but the jealous and mean Chunwan, who was another character besides Qingwu in this scene.

  She was loud, mean, and quick to judge, quickly becoming a flame over the least things possible, mainly involving Qingwu. From the story's perspective, she loved him, though she had the basic annoying stereotype. Thats why she accused Feng Zhi Hao stupidly, creating her own pitfall.

  Su Jing couldn't help but side glance at Yawen, especially at his cane and feeble body. Reminiscing how Lord Qingwu planned to go to the forest together with Mingmei, Chunwan and Yan Wen, Su Jing, as much as she felt bad for Yawen, was very certain her worries were right.

  Yawen was the one meant to die soon.

  The reason for his meeting with Lord Qingwu and the Chunwan and Mingmei wasn't really explained since from Feng Zhihao's perspective they looked like close companions. They were attacked by some monsters, and while Yawen had an episode of fainting which made him unable to defend himself, Lord Qingwu and the other two girls didn't have enough time to reach him since they were too far away.

  Feng Zhihao saved Yawen, helping him with some other meds that stabilized his condition.

  Of course, Chunwan and Mengmei played their usual roles as mean villainesses, dissing Feng Zhihao and calling her a ruffian. It was predictable—characters like them were always there to highlight Feng Zhihao's superiority.

  Meanwhile, Lord Qingwu, the main love interest, was clearly taken with her. He couldn't hide his admiration for Feng Zhihao's medical skills, especially after she swiftly diagnosed Yawen's condition. Even Yawen, frail and weakened as he was, couldn't help but feel grateful and impressed by her abilities.

  Feng Zhihao did not stay too long since she wasn't really welcomed by the party, but still, Lord Qingwu thanked her by gifting her some spiritual crystals. After that, using his talismans, he and the others hurried off to the nearest city to ensure Yawen could receive proper treatment.

  Feng Zhihao, ever the lone traveler, continued on foot. By the time she reached Twelve Roads City, however, the news awaiting her was grim: Yawen was dead.

  It was an unexpected turn. Feng Zhihao's medical knowledge had stabilized him, and yet, somehow, things had taken a fatal turn after they separated.

  After this came a whole mess with her being accused by Chunwan as the culprit since Feng Zhihao gave Yawen's meds last time. Chunwan was extremely jealous of the attention Feng Zhihao received from Lord Qingwu, so she was extreme in wanting her gone.

  Though she had nearly been imprisoned, Feng Zhihao managed to persuade the higher cultivators to grant her access to Yawen's body. Chunwan opposed this vehemently, insisting that Feng was merely trying to cover her tracks. However, Lord Qingwu intervened, vouching for her, as he was seen as a close friend of Yawen.

  But was he really? Su Jing sensed that Yawen viewed Lord Qingwu more as a nuisance than a friend.

  Regardless, Feng Zhihao seized the opportunity to demonstrate her medical expertise. Upon examining Yawen's lifeless form, she quickly deduced that he had been poisoned with a highly potent toxin, one that was entirely separate from the illness he had been suffering. His previous condition could not account for his sudden death; this was a deliberate act of murder.

  And that poison, after she said its name, the cultivators were in shock since it was an art of a fallen poison clan — the very one which was at fault for murdering the previous Black Tortoise Master.

  The poison was insidious, revealing itself only when exposed to Cold Green Fire Qi. Utilizing her own Qi, Feng Zhihao examined everybody and soon uncovered traces of the toxin on Chunwan's body, hidden within a small and ugly family heirloom.

  This revelation led to a shocking discovery: Chunwan was not just any ordinary cultivator; she was the vengeful miss of the fallen poison clan.

  Everyone was appalled by it, and Chunwan had no way to counter it since she also had a masking artefact hiding her appearance, which was burnt by Feng Zhihao. Everyone recognised her once her blood was put on an old blood talisman from her clan, and Lord Qingwu was especially hurt by how his close sect sister was, in fact, one of the members of the clan who murdered his clan uncle. It wasn't a far stretch that she may have wanted to hurt him too or someone else from his family.

  She even wanted to throw water on someone else to escape the accusations.

  And not only that but after that came another man, who was an elder from another clan, the White Sword Clan, which was of the same calibre as the Black Tortoise Clan. They revealed how Yawen was, in fact, a hidden young master from this clan and accused Chunwan of wanting to attack their clan in revenge. That was because the White Sword Clan were the ones who exterminated the Poison Clan after the Immortal Convention decided they and their arts to be wiped out.

  Chunwan, even if she was innocent, as the kin of the Poison Clan, had to be killed.

  So, not having a way out, she recognised her crimes, and as a final wish, she sought Lord Qingwu's forgiveness. However, he ignored her, breaking her heart, and like that, in an act of fury, she went and attacked Feng Zhihao. Feng Zhihao didn't have time to defend herself as Lord Qingwu killed Chunwan himself, in a quite usual cruel act.

  It was a happy end for Feng Zhihao since she got richer with the prize from the Immortal Convention. Su Jing doesn't remember, but Yawen's body was kept for a while at the Black Tortoise Clan until the White Sword Clan came personally and took it to proceed with the funeral.

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  And that was it.

  Su Jing wondered what to do.

  Should she be heartless and use Yawen to leave this place knowing his fate was already sealed? She wasn't that close to him, but surely she wasn't meant to be present in this setting either.

  Suddenly, it was even harder to look towards Yawen's face.

  Perhaps seeing her nervous, Yawen put his hand on her shoulder, "If things do go awry, I have some urgent-use talismans for short distances. They can connect to the nearest core and teleport us directly to Twelve Roads City. "

  So Yawen gave them later to Qingwu in the story. Su Jing nodded, though she couldn't help but wonder if she might somehow get her hands on a few herself.

  After all, according to the female lead's explanation, Yawen had been poisoned during the fight with that extra-powerful monster. The poison was subtle enough to evade immediate detection, and Feng Zhihao, treating only the obvious symptoms, didn't realize the deeper issue until it was too late.

  It was only afterwards, when she examined Yawen's body with her newly discovered green flame, that she exposed the hidden poison and gained new medical insights—though, at the expense of Yawens life.

  If Su Jing were to teleport him away before that happened, wouldn't he have a chance to escape this mess? He would miss his immediate opportunity to reach the mortal realm, but at least he'd be safely out of the story's plotline.

  It wouldn't even seem unusual if she timed it just as the beast attacked.

  "So, we can set off as soon as possible," Qingwu said, looking between Su Jing and Yawen. "Me and my sect sisters were already prepared for a journey outside the city, so if either of you needs to pick up anything from the market, go ahead. I'll send a talisman note so we can meet them at the front gate."

  They both nodded, and Yawen began organizing his papers, making the core disappear with a simple touch. Su Jing tried to help him, taking a final glance at Qingwu's map to memorize the route before he slipped it back into his storage bag.

  With that, the three of them made their way to the city exit. Qingwu was leading the way, his tall figure cutting through the crowd. Su Jing chose to follow closely behind, keeping pace with the rhythmic tapping of Yawen's cane on the ground. He put back on his head yesterday's veiled hat, making it hard to see what exactly was his expression like. She pressed her lips, unsure about all this.

  The road continued with minimal conversation. Su Jing only paused briefly to grab some food from a stand, with Qingwu volunteering to pay for it. While she wasn't thrilled about being indebted to him, she accepted the offer—after all, she had no money.

  In the end, when they finally approached the gate, Su Jing couldn't help but notice two familiar female figures in the crowd.

  "Elder brother Wu, you finally came."

  Su Jing looked up, watching as Chunwan darted toward them, her robes flowing around her in a beautiful red colour. She was hugging a sword at her chest, looking a bit weird for her body proportions. Mingmei trailed close behind in an elegant light purple garment, looking like a pretty flower.

  Yawen and Su Jing exchanged a knowing glance before they caught up to the others. Su Jing tried to maintain her calm expression.

  As Chunwan was walking closer, her eyes trailed past Qinqwu's body, seeing Su Jing and Yawen. She froze for a moment, and immediately her expression soured, Su Jing not knowing which of them had it worse, her or Yawen.

  The man she wished to get revenge on because his clan happened to exterminate her clan or the random woman who stuck like a sore thumb around. Unfortunately for Chunwan, Su Jing had in plan to not lose Yawen from her sight. Inside the city, there was still no danger, but once outside, things were bound to change.

  "Chunwan, Mingmei," Qingwu greeted them smoothly, gesturing to Yawen and Su Jing. "We'll all be heading toward the Grey Skies Forest together. Cultivator Wen is looking to recharge a core for the teleportation talisman, so we'll need a spot with dense Qi flow. Since the forest is also excellent for beast hunting, it works well for all of us.

  Mingmei nodded, her expression polite as she assessed Yawen. "Understood, Brother Wu," she replied. "Cultivator Wen, it's good to see you again." She inclined her head slightly, giving him a faint smile.

  For a second she paused when she saw Su Jing, but in the end, she greeted Su Jing too with a nod. Since she did not ask for Su Jing's name, it was clear Mingmei had no interest in talking to her. Not that Su Jing cared, it is not like this Mingmei was a really big shot apart from having her whole identity associated with Qingwu.

  Chunwan only fleetly nodded towards both of them after hearing Mingmei's words.

  "But brother, I understand helping Cultivator Wen, but wouldn't it be dangerous to have a mortal fly with us? She did not even get through the basics in the immortal realm."

  Su Jing did not expect Chunwan to attack her so suddenly. Yet, as much as she disliked Chunwan, she was right. Su Jing had no experience with flying and the sole thought of having to stabilise herself on a small sword made Su Jing shiver. It was one thing watching others while staying on the ground, and another when actually doing it!

  "Junior Sister Mei is a talented swordflyer so having Cultivator Su in her care wouldn't cause any problems. " Qingwu responded, putting his hand on Chunwan's shoulder, "And since Cultivator Wen needs to keep his Qi, I will help him fly over. Wanwan does not have to worry too much. "

  Qingwu then looked toward Mingmei, who stepped up to Su Jing gracefully. "Yes, I can take you, Cultivator Su. My sword has the capacity for two, and Chunwan's still mastering her sword Qi control. It will be safer this way."

  Su Jing sighed inwardly, knowing she didn't really have a choice. "Cultivator Mei, I will be in your care."

  And it was only her impression or did this Mingmei put an accent on how Chunwan was still bad at swordflying? Either way, there was a faint smirk on Mingmei's face, while Chunwan clenched her teeth, her expression darkening. Qingwu, of course, was oblivious to their fight since he was now talking with Yawen.

  Oh, these two. Su Jing could practically feel the heated glare Chunwan directed toward both her and Mingmei. As if to reassert herself, Chunwan unsheathed her sword, holding it with a slight flourish, clearly attempting to show off.

  "My sword forging hasn't finished yet, so it's normal to be a bit unstable," Chunwan remarked, trying to sound nonchalant. "If I wanted, I could easily transport two people on it since it's bigger than Senior Sister Mei's."

  While Chunwan's sword was indeed heavier, from what Su Jing recalled of the novel, larger weapons required significantly more Qi to wield properly. In other words, flying with such a sword would be exhausting—certainly not practical for long distances.

  So why was this woman thinking of flying with this weapon? The other two had normal flying weapons and Su Jing was sure Chunwan was not some kind of big talent or genius.

  Or, now that Su Jing looked better at it, she realized the sword was indeed not finished, as Chunwan said. The pommel was missing, the handle was hardly made well and the guard had a weird shape. Even the blade itself was kind of dull and uneven.

  The sword represented the swordmaster's entire fortune, so by the looks of it, Chunwan was barely covering her sword expenses. Which was strange, since she was close to Qingwu, the young master of the clan of the most famous forging skills in weapons.

  Was he so stingy to not help other females besides the female lead?

  Su Jing wasn't an expert in sword forging, but even she could tell that Chunwan's weapon didn't fit the standards of a disciple from a sword sect. Of course, that wasn't entirely surprising, given Chunwan's background in a clan specializing in poisons rather than weapons.

  Fortunately, Su Jing would be in Mingmei's capable hands—or rather, in the care of Mingmei's well-crafted sword. The blade glowed with a quiet elegance, its polished surface tinted with a gorgeous purple hue, likely due to the amethyst embedded along the scabbard, which channelled Qi to give it that distinct colour.

  The sword's handle was wrapped in lavender silk cords, ending in a delicate tassel with silver knots, adding a graceful touch. Su Jing watched as Mingmei unsheathed her sword with a smooth motion, tossing it effortlessly into the air where it hovered, perfectly balanced.

  "Sect sister only has to follow me and senior brother, the location in the forest isn't even that far." She then played with her index finger, the sword circling two times around her before positioning itself behind her.

  Su Jing couldn't help but be impressed. Yawen too stared at it as he approached them, "Is Miss Mingmei already trying to awaken a sword spirit?"

  A sword spirit was the ultimate aspiration for any sword cultivator—a consciousness that would awaken within the weapon itself. Achieving one required exceptional materials, Qi, and skills, and it was evident that Mingmei's sword was well on its way. She nodded in acknowledgement.

  "Yes, though it hasn't fully developed a consciousness yet," she replied. "It can follow basic commands, but it's not what you'd call a true spirit response. I still have refining to do."

  "It is still an impressive level for someone in the early foundation stage. " Yawen said, analysing the sword attentively. "I am sure you will be an amazing contestant in the next Tournament."

  Mingmei accepted the compliment, and since Qingwu was present too, Qingwu commented, "The bond between a cultivator and their weapon is not something that can be rushed. It requires patience and the right conditions. Even I had needed a long time till my sword succeeded to awake. "

  As if to show an example, Qingwu got his sword to float too in the air, though with a more coordinated move. It pulsated a few times, and Su Jing understood that probably it was talking with Qingwu in its consciousness. His sword was similar to Mingmei, but double-edged with an exceptionally sharp tip. The guard was of jade, having a beautiful carved model which was blended with the handle's green silk. The pommel had a sharp transparent rock centred, which made way for a long tassel to flutter in the wind.

  Curious, Su Jing couldn't help but look towards Chunwan. Opposite to her expectations, while others admired the sword, she looked affectionately towards Qingwu, her eyes closely following him.

  "We'd better get going before it gets too late." He directed the sword outside the gates, as it signalled others to follow him.

  Su Jing went together with the rest, deciding to not put that much thought into Chunwan.

  Hello guys, sorry for the LONG delay. Had to prepare for an important presentation, plus many other projects so my time had to be put elsewhere.

  I also had a mini writing block, I almost deleted this chapter because I couldn't get the narrative flow I wanted. :'(

  In any case, sorry again. I would love to hear from you in the comments. I will accept any backlash from u since I really skipped my (non-existent) schedule. I am not even surprised about the unfollowing, you guys are in the right to be angry. /_ \